Resources

Software Resources Cloud & Infrastructure Amazon AWS Activate – https://aws.amazon.com/startups Microsoft for Startups – https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/startups Google for Startups Cloud Program – https://cloud.google.com/startup Design & Engineering SolidWorks for Entrepreneurs – https://www.solidworks.com/solution/solidworks-for-startups-program Autodesk Startup Program – https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/startups Altium Startup Program – https://www.altium.com/solutions/academic-programs/incubator-partner Technical Computing MATLAB & Simulink for Startups – https://www.mathworks.com/products/startups.html Wolfram Emerging Innovators Program – https://www.wolfram.com/startups/ Software Development GitHub for Startups – https://github.com/enterprise/startups GitLab for Startups – https://about.gitlab.com/solutions/startups/ JetBrains Startup Program – https://www.jetbrains.com/store/startups/ Data Science & AI Databricks for Startups – https://www.databricks.com/product/startups NVIDIA Inception – https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/startups/ Business & Operations HubSpot for Startups – https://www.hubspot.com/startups Hardware Development Cadence Startup Program – https://www.cadence.com/en_US/home/company/cadence-academic-network/entrepreneurs.html

Entrepreneur-in-Residence Program EIR consulting meetings are available both in-person and virtually.  The Research Park Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) program provides free consulting to new startup ventures and prospective technology entrepreneurs. The Entrepreneur-in-Residence team features experienced entrepreneurs that have faced challenges in commercializing research/early stage technology. They provide advice on a wide variety of business topics like successfully attracting investment, building a team and communicating value proposition. The EIRs are available via appointment for any Research Park client or University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign faculty, staff, student or community technology entrepreneur to receive business consulting, strategy assistance, marketing and communication help, investor preparedness, or other startup consultation needed. Entrepreneurs may select an EIR or have one assigned by the EnterpriseWorks staff based on the subject matter and availability of the team. The EIR program also has monthly training events for technology entrepreneurs covering basic fundamentals most entrepreneurs face such as intellectual property basics, business development and sales, SBIR/STTR grant writing, and investor options and negotiations. For assistance, submit an online request form. Magnus Andersson | Ops, Execution Planning Dr. H. Magnus Andersson is an advisor, coach, and mentor to tech startups in the University of Illinois Research Park ecosystem. He currently advises Iridescent Sensors Inc., an NSF-funded startup developing chemical detection technology for first responders, and FrostDefense Envirotech Inc., which creates sustainable frost mitigation solutions for agriculture. He also serves as Co-Founder and CEO of a stealth-mode professional development technology startup in Champaign. Previously, Dr. Andersson was Co-Founder and VP of Business Development at Autonomic Materials, where he led strategic planning, market engagement, and secured over $15M in funding. His earlier career includes research positions at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at UIUC, where he managed multiple collaborative projects on self-healing materials. With over 20 years of experience in advanced materials research, Dr. Andersson has authored more than 50 publications and holds a patent. He earned his MSc in Engineering Physics and PhD in Fluid Mechanics from Luleå University of Technology in Sweden, an MBA from UIUC, and completed studies at CERN in Switzerland and École Polytechnique in Canada. Experience: Technology Entrepreneurship | Advanced Materials Science | Startup Mentorship | Capital Acquisition | Research Commercialization Dennis Beard | AgTech, Finance, Raising Capital Dennis is Managing Partner of Serra Ventures and also serves as a Partner and CFO for Open Prairie Ventures, both early-stage venture capital firm. Champaign-based Serra Ventures invests in technology companies and specializes in agriculture technologies. Serra has invested in over 70 companies, including many from the Research Park, and its partners also have worked with EnterpriseWorks and the Research Park as EIRs for more than a decade, including CEO Tim Hoerr. Dennis, a CPA, has been involved throughout his career with businesses of all sizes as a Manager for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Controller for SLM Aminco, CFO for Segno Communications, CFO and CEO for the Home Recovery Group of Companies, and Partner with Blakeman and Beard, LLC, CPA’s. Dennis is an adjunct faculty member in the Gies College of Business and lecturer for an entrepreneurial finance course. Experience:    Finance | Healthcare | AgTech | Raising Capital | Investor Reporting | Exit Transactions | Investment Opportunities Chris Harbourt | AgTech, Sustainability Chris Harbourt is a serial entrepreneur involved in a number of businesses and investments. His focus today is in helping faculty and students grow successful businesses from great ideas. Chris is currently involved in startup consulting, building new software businesses in agriculture, and building traditional businesses like aircraft flight services and building custom classic cars. Chris was the founding CEO of Agrible, where he led fundraising efforts (seed, Series A, bridge, and Series B) and assembled a great team who built valuable software for agriculture. Those efforts led to an exit that created wealth for investors and founders. Chris is investing as a Partner at Anther Group, an early stage consulting and investing firm. His expertise includes startup business operations, fundraising, software product development, physical product development, sustainability, and R&D data collection. Chris has a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Agricultural Engineering and teaches there in the Technology Entrepreneurship Center and the Department of Crop Sciences sharing experiences with students. Experience:    Agriculture | Fundraising | Software | Business Operations | Sustainability | Product Development | Data Collection Matthew Meltzer | Immigration Law Matt co-founded Meltzer Hellrung in 2014 with his business partner, Matthew Hellrung. Their vision was to combine exceptional, strategic, and programmatic legal guidance with best-in-class technology to provide a service that makes immigration management easier for companies and more transparent, intuitive, and reassuring for foreign national employees. In addition, Matt continues to strive to build a workplace that treats employees with dignity and invests in their long-term success. Experience: Employee Hiring | Immigration Policy | Mergers | Global Expansion | Government Inspections | Reorganizations | I-9 Compliance Paul Miller | Founder, Operations, Software Paul S. Miller, PhD, has been creating science-based, intelligent systems since 2005. In 2014, he founded Agrible, Inc building the world’s first predictive analytics system that put critical knowledge into the hands of growers to manage their operations. With Agrible, he and his team launched the largest agriculture sustainability platform enabled by intelligent systems, which has characterized millions of acres of farmland across the US. Agrible was acquired in 2018 by Nutrien Ag Solutions for $63M and was a top 5 global Ag Tech acquisition at the time. Paul co-founded Flats or Spikes in 2020, where he is building a business using conversational, generative intelligent systems fine-tuned with domain experts to create quality of life for everyone. Paul has a background in ML/AI and data science including publications and patents. Has led the development of ag tech platforms, mobile apps, data science, ML/AI systems, infrastructure, and ETL pipelines for science-based products. He also has led design and product development teams to build products using agile, user-focused methodologies. Paul also has a personal love of DIY music and playing drums and guitar. Experience: Agile Methodologies | AgTech Platforms | Product Development | Product Engineering | Startup Ideation | Business Development | Startup Acquisition Edwin Moore |

Catapult Program The Catapult Program benefits University of Illinois-affiliated entrepreneurs with strong potential for technology commercialization through new company formation. Catapult awardees have access to a suite of professional services, including business development, legal setup, SBIR applications, bookkeeping, and marketing/branding assistance. EnterpriseWorks maintains a list of professional service providers and pricing for Catapult clients. Catapult award recipients are required to become tenants of the EnterpriseWorks incubator. Through the program, EnterpriseWorks competitively awards companies 80% of the service cost (up to $5000). Funding and resources are available for one year. Lastly, services are expected to be completed within the budget allocations for each category. An Ideal Candidate should: Have the company in the pre-formation stage Have the Technology licensed, or in the process of being licensed, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Apply to the Catapult Program Disclaimer: Submitting the form doesn’t guarantee the award, and the applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Service Providers If your firm wishes to provide services for Catapult program, please submit a one-page scope of services on any of the packages listed on the table, including prices and contact information on company letterhead, to research-park@illinois.edu. Catapult Program Catapult provides university-affiliated startups with access to professional services.

Makerspace EnterpriseWorks at the University of Illinois Research Park houses a shared Makerspace and shared labs. These spaces are open to Research Park tenants and offer free, well-maintained resources. EnterpriseWorks’ Makerspace EnterpriseWorks, the startup incubator of the University of Illinois Research Park, is home to a shared Makerspace. 3D printers, table saws, laser cutters, and much more are available for use. Research Park companies, including corporations, small businesses, EnterpriseWorks tenants, and affiliate members, are permitted use of the space. For more information, contact research-park@illinois.edu. EnterpriseWorks’ Shared Lab Facilities At EnterpriseWorks, labs are available with casework, fume hoods, plumbing, gas, and shelving. Basic labs are available, and full fit-out labs for chemical and life science companies are also available. Equipment List 3D Printer Air compressor Belt Sander Bench Grinder Drill Press Horizontal Bandsaw Laser Cutter Lathe Mill/TDrill/Tapping Machine Miter Saw Various hand tools Vertical Bandsaw

Campus Resources By virtue of our affiliation with the University of Illinois, Research Park and EnterpriseWorks tenants also benefit from university-administered resources. Our University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus location provides Research Park companies and startups with unparalleled convenience when it comes to accessing university-related resources. Facility Use Agreements Companies can gain access to University of Illinois laboratory equipment and facilities by entering into Facilities Use Agreement and/or Technical Testing Agreements with the University. The top requested research facilities include the clean-room labs within the Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory; various sophisticated lasers; and microscopy. Companies also may utilize National Center for Supercomputing Applications Industry Partner Program. Companies also have access to rapid prototyping and machine shop services through the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering. Clients pay on a cost-recovery basis (materials and labor only), so prices are extremely low compared to commercial service options. Faculty and staff-founded companies located in EnterpriseWorks and the Research Park can setup interdepartmental agreements for technical testing or facilities use, resulting in substantial savings compared to external company use rates. Allied Agency Allied Agencies may can receive specific benefits offered by the University of Illinois for being located on the Urbana-Champaign campus. For more information on the benefits of being an allied organization, please visit the Office of Corporate Relations website here. Companies located at the University of Illinois Research Park are eligible to apply for Allied Agency status. To become an Allied Agency, follow these steps:  Complete this form and send it to research-park@illinois.edu. Research Park staff will sign and send the form  to the Office of Corporation Relations, who will send a letter to your Research Park site. Next, send a list of your employees to the OCR and Research Park staff. Request a NetID. After requesting a NetID, request an Illinois.edu email address by contacting Tech Services. Then, you may request a Research Park card. Visit the ID Center located at the Illini Union Bookstore to get your card. ALLIED AGENCY APPLICATION Campus Organizations Student Entrepreneurship Campus Resources Research Park’s location provides convenient access to on-campus resources.

Workshops The University of Illinois Research Park hosts a variety of workshops every month. From entrepreneurial support, to professional events, to intern development, Research Park supports ongoing education by inviting speakers of various backgrounds to discuss experiences, share advice, and provide insight into particular fields. Workshop Topics Recruiting Intellectual Property Pitching Diversity in the Workplace Pricing & Sales Customer Discovery Technology Commercialization Team Development Financial Literacy Improv Branding & Storytelling Business Strategy Investing & Funding Negotiation Strategies Personal Development Emotional Intelligence SBIR/STTR Technical Assistance VIEW OUR CALENDAR FOR DETAILS ON UPCOMING WORKSHOPS.